A farewell to summer

We celebrated the end of the unbearably hot Sacramento summer days this afternoon. For the last time until next year we lounged by the pool, barbequed with friends, and swam in the cool water. The weatherman is calling for a big cool off, and frankly we are ready for it, but it was nice to have one last hurrah.

The coolest thing...

So yes, I am a teacher, and Cody is my child, but I swear I witnessed the coolest thing today...

"I see Ancn in his sip."

Translation: I see Anakin in his ship.

My son wrote that! When we came home from school today he said, "I learned a new word today Mom. I learned see. Does that mean I can write stuff now?" So I got out his journal (which up until now has been used to practice the alphabet and his name), handed him a pencil, and stood back to watch what he would do. It was awesome! He started by writing the words "I see", words that he has learned in kindergarten. Then, when I was getting ready to step in and help him, he continued to write on his own. At one point he even erased because, "I forgot to leave a finger space." When he was finished, he looked at me with a huge grin on his face, and said, " Want me to read you my story Mom?" It gets better...he proceeded to read me his story while pointing at his words on the paper! Now, I know that I am a teacher, and that Cody is my son, but come on, that is COOL!

Who makes the rules?

Today I took Cody to his friend Evan's birthday party. The boys had a great time running, jumping, and playing together. The only rule at the facility was that children had to wear socks at all times. Of course that meant that at fairly regular intervals, every 10 minutes or so, one or another of the boys would come up and ask if he could take his socks off - Murphy's Law. At the party's end as we are packing up to leave Cody turns to me and says, "Mommy, why did President Obama have to make that rule about the socks anyway?"

I love the mind of a child!

My baby...

Five years ago today I lay in the hospital eager, frightened, and overwhelmed by emotion as your dad and I awaited your arrival. Within moments of entering this world, you forever changed ours. We were so in awe of you. You awakened feelings of both hope and trepidation. You made us question everything that we believed. You forced us to reevaluate and reprioritize. You made us laugh, cry, and tremble with both an immeasurable amount of love and an immeasurable amount of fear. You joined us closer than we have ever been, and changed the dynamics of our relationship forever. You transformed us from a couple to a family. You are our miracle - our beautiful, perfect, baby boy. Though we celebrated your 5th birthday today, I cannot help but remember that night and how you burst into our lives and made us whole. We are so lucky to call you our son. We love you sweet Cody. Happy Birthday!

Celebrate!

Today was Cody's 5th birthday. With gifts coming in the mail from Grandma, and Auntie Meems, baking cupcakes for his class, planning and preparing for the party, and the general buzz of excitement that accompanies the approach of another birthday, it has been hard not to celebrate all week long. Our official celebration though took place yesterday. Cody invited about 8 of his friends over to bounce in a giant Hulk shaped bounce house, eat a ton of junk food, play, laugh, and have fun. It was a great party!